Pressure-alarm for gas-pipes



(No M0de1.).

@HAM

PRESSURE ALARM FUR GA3 L VHA/Essais'.

' cago, in the Unirse STATES FRANCIS S.

PATENT @Friet-z.

imitan, or cursado, rLLiNois.

`PRESSURE-ALRIVI FOR GAS-PilES.

SIECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,584, dated April 7,189.

Application filed January 17, 1895. Serial No.

To all whomv it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS S. BAKER, a citizen of the 'United States,residing at Chicounty of Cook and State oflllinois, have invented aneilv and" useful Improvement in Pressure-Alarms for Gas-Pipes and otherPipes or Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for prevent-v ing explosions orotherinjury from abnormal variations in pressure of natural gas andother iiuids supplied io houses 'and other build-ings.

'Iereto'iorethe supplying oi` natural gas to the heating-'furnaces ofprivatehouses,which are ordinarily left burning 'itil night, and whereinall the inmates are, ordinarily, of course, asleep during the night, hasbeen attended with more or less danger to life and property, owing tothe possibility of the gaspr'essnre, on the one hand, rising to al dan-`gerous degree, and thus so increase the fire as to melt down the iurnace, burner, or heater,

or set the house on fire, or falling so low, on

'liquid conductor the other hand, as ifo permit the lire to becomeextinguished momentarily, so that the house iill with gas when thepressure returns, thus 'rendering possible an explosion. l

The object ot' my invention is to provide Va device ol a simpleconstruction, and which can he relied upon with certainty and safety,'by means of which an alarm `will oe automaticall y vgiven the momentthe pressure either rises or falls to a dangerous degree, the alarmcontinuing until some person gives attention to the apparatus.

iii y invention consists, in connection with a supply-pipe for naturalgas or other fluid, the furnace, heater, or other apparatus to which thegas or other iiuidis supplied, andan electric alarm-hell, battery, andcircuit, of an inverted siphon, heut tube, or two-limhcd vesselconnected at one endA or limb to the s'up'- ply pipe and containingmercury or other of electricity, so ,that the level ol the mercury inthe siphonvcssel will vary with the pressure, the terminals of theelectric circuit being located within both limlis ot themercurycontaining vessel, thus lio circuiti to he closed and the alarm foiilior a riseior i'nll of pressure teun r-oiisdei-ed dangerous, orioaugovlr-iii exi ont that may be predetermined upon and at which theapparatus may be set. In order that the alarm may continue to ring untilthe furnaceE heater, or other apparatus receives the necessaryattention, I provide' thecircuitwith an annunciator-drop or other likedevice by means of which .the/alarm-bell circuit is kept even though thecircuit should only be moof the gas or other iluid against ther mercuryinthe inverted Siphon or vessel.

IV-hile my invention is specially designed lfor use in giving alarms ofdangerous variations of pressure of natural gas supplied to heatingapparatus or other furnaces, it may however, be' used for giving alarmoi-"notice hof variation in the pressure of other fluids, liquids asWell' as gases.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a pai-tof this specification,Figure 1 is a diagram view of an apparatus embodying lmy invention. Fig.2 is an enlarged central Vertical section through the mercury-containingvessel or device for automatically closingthe alarm-hell circuit by therise or fall of pressure of the fluid in the supply-pipe. a verticalsection on line 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 shows a modification.;

Like letters of Areference indicate like parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, gas or other fluid supply pipe; ,13, a furnace, iiuidisv supplied; C, an electric gas or other source of electric energy;

battery' or other to forni a light joint with the coupling D.

mentarily closedl by thevariation in pressure Fig. 3 is heater, stove,or lother apparatus to which the l Cl, an annunciator-drop; C2, aswitch; E, an elcc-v j bent tube, or twoclosed until readjustment by theattendant, I 'i A represents a naturale The pressure of the gas or otherfluid in the press against the liquid or pipe A will thus I) and hold 1mercury d in one leg oi the vifs-sel ille mercury or liquitl etdifferent levele 'in thc two legs of the veesel. The electric cir- `cuitl1 has tivo terminale ff extending into one .leg oi the vessel cr benttube l), and preferably, elec, tive similar termina-ls fgf eX- tenflinginto the other leg of the vessel, the terminals in the one being at udifferent lcvell'rom those in the other leg, so that the circuit fr muybe eloeetl by the mercury or other conducting liquid (7, between thetermiuulS or contuc't-piecesf or f when the prefsuu re of the or otheril uid. eeesee entirely or frills below' the desired degree, und, also,so that Seial circuit muy be closed by seid liquid between the terminalef2 f3 when the pressure of the rises above the desired pointor to e(lungeroue degree. The terminals or concret-pieces ff ure ettueliell toscrews or binding-postsj't j" secured in :i vulcanite or otheriusulnting-plugd, which closes the upper end ol' the coupling.;n l", andin like manner the terminals or eenmot-piecce f2 f3 are secured loscrews or l'liultling-poets f5 fitted in the plug or cup f", thieler; otthe bent lube l). The cnpf has openingfl throi ""i it, so 'that themercury or other liquitl in thif leg ot' thebent tubenluy receive theatmospheric prcfisure.

fu'j' ure biul'ling-poetrs for Supporting the circuit-Wilbe, and ACY ifau boi; orlcuse inclusing; the bent tube or ventiel. p "fr,

`cution illuetrete'l in Fig. 4 the u I are 'merle of fflifllgirentlengths, so thut tue leingle terminal or eonttlct-picce f2 Will sufficein the other leg or branch of the heut Vt the. 'lhe terminals orcontact-pieces rf j ure prclcruhly merle of platinum wire orothcr nietulnot injuriouslyeffected by the mercury or gnu.

'l'he bent tube or veesel l) being itself open null in openconmiunicution with the fluideuxpnl; pipe A., the liquid ffl in Suidveusel from; a to (flow the opening through the veSSel il 9 nl prerentthe escupe et the gas orluifl, nu well ne lo loe-e Lhe circuit lf whenthe presruirc varie. lror this rcuson I prefer to use mercury in thevessel l), us it is u @very heavy liquid. i

The .finniznriutor-drop l" may be of any or- (liner:v loi i. .leindicated iu the drawings, it compile ,sie umu'nct c in the circuit l, upivocrl armuture-lcverf'y furnished with n catch c2, und :t pivotetlswitch-lover "which closes the circuit .V ui c; when it is :Allowed todrop by henmg'nef. movingy its urxnm ure-lever c. rl`he bell ornlerru liin the circuit. l" will thus continue to riuge'ter the circuit is closedat ff' orfjs h v reufeon ci? the unnunciutor-rl rop l" keeping tlulcircuit clbsed at ci c.

lt vuil heohservell that The two terminals ff lerul one lo thehiiulingpost f und the iermnlda j'gf in the other lng oi' the vessel illcufl in the rame ny to the tivo opposite which. covers the upper end ofpressure closes the circuit through the liuui-:l d coming in Contactwith both the longer vrire f in one leg and the single Wire f2 in theother leg, and the fall of preesure closes the circuit between the Wiresff.

The smell aperture f7 et the free end o bent tube-thatv is to say, theenti that ie net connected to the gas-supply pipe-elec serve to preventsudden fluctuations or .ilseticns of the pressure of the gas in thegee-supply pipe from causing the mercury to ,jump or act too quickly inthe bent tube, uuu thus unnecessarily close the circuit and. set thealarm in operation when the variation in pressure is only e momentaryone und not one Such as to produce danger. This small exper ture at thefree end of the bent tube, byfurnishing a contracted escape or intel-refor the air in this end of the tube above the mercury, provides theapparatus with en effectual eircushion to guard against unneceesurymoven ments of the mercury.

l. The combination with e furnace or gefburning device und itsguesupplypipe, of un electric circuit, un alarm device incluflecl in thecircuit, en annuneiutor-(lrop included ii the circuit, a bent tubecontaining; mercury orotlier electric conductingliquid, communieating;et one end with the gaseupplgf pipe, and the tree end of seid bent tubehaving e. Smell aperture to steady the movement ci." the mercury underfluctuations of prcsfnlrc in the gas-supply pipe, and electric terminaleor contact-pieces connected with Suid circuit und between which thecircuit is closed by tbc mercury in said bcnt tube when acted upon by echange of pressure in the gus-supply I pipe, substantially as specified.

The combination with e furnace orgasburning,r device and itsgnu-supplypipe, of un electric circuit, mi alarm device included in thecircuit, an innuneiutor-lrop included in f the circuit, e bent tubecontaining mercury or other electric eonductinglirpiid, ccrnniunieatinget one end with the gee-supply pipe, and the free end ot' seid bent tubeliuving e small fiperture to Steady the ineveu'icnt ol' the f legs orlimbs so that the circuit muy be elcscfl either by un increasing or by elecrceeing chungo of pressure ol the gus in the gne-Sup l p 1 V Il plypipe, suhsturuiully ne iupecillefl. other lo the mnulngqumlj-,uiulthutthetu'o e y mercury under fluctuations ot pressure in the reg

